Building on the success of a sold out first edition, the NYC South American Music Festival returns to Zinc Bar during the APAP NYC conference 2014. The festival celebrates a new movement in the US: music rooted in the folklores of various countries of South America, as they borrow from each other and meet with styles from all around the globe including pop, rock, jazz, world and electronica. These musicians have blurred the boundaries between their musical cultures and carved out a renovated identity of the South American diaspora.

SAMF was launched by a group of artists from Argentina (Sofia Rei and Sofia Tosello), Colombia (Gregorio Uribe) and Venezuela (Juancho Herrera) who are now known as El Colectivo Sur, together with Lilihouse Agency, and continues with the addition of new artists for each edition: the 2014 edition will feature the Pedro Giraudo Expansions Big Band, in which the Argentine leader combines his love of classical forms, Argentine tango and folk music, and the spontaneity of jazz improvisation, Juancho Herrera, one of our founding artists and NYC-based Venezuelan guitar/cuatro player and singer-songwriter with his urban pan-Latin sounds, Rebolú, a NYC-based musical ensemble promoting traditions of the Afro descendants of Colombia's Carribean coast, Ñawi, a collaboration of Boston-based group Yarina and Alex Alvear (now based in Quito) presenting a new and contemporary vision of Ecuadorian music, Alejo García, a singer/songwriter from the collective Barrio Colombia, flying in from Antioquia for the festival.

Pedro Giraudo is widely considered one of the most creative and daring composers and bandleaders on the jazz scene today. Based in New York and New Jersey, Pedro has performed with his ensembles at the East Coast's best jazz clubs (Birdland, Jazz Standard, Jazz Gallery, Blue Note, 92Y Tribeca, Zinc Bar), as well as at the Philadelphia Museum's "Art After 5" in 2010.

Pedro leads three ensembles: Pedro Giraudo "Expansions" Big Band, Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra, Pedro Giraudo Sextet. His last CD, "Córdoba" (ZOHO Music) was the winner, "Best Jazz Album, Independent Music Awards Pop poll 2013. Both "Cordóba and the previous "El Viaje" (2009) won multiple awards including "Best Latin Jazz Ensemble" in Latin Jazz Corner's "Best of... in both of those years." He has just recorded a new CD featuring the Big Band, to be released in Spring 2014.

His music combines his love of classical forms, Argentine tango and folk music, and the spontaneity and elegance of jazz improvisation. Rhythmically and harmonically, his work is unique, with its Argentine underpinnings and its creative interweaving of improvised and prearranged components. In total, he has released 5 critically acclaimed CDs.

Downbeat has called his music "An opulent listening experience. . .brimming with passionate improvisations, contrapuntal melodies, and plush harmonies." (John Murph). Latin Jazz Corner commented that it "overflows with power and expression" (Chip Boaz). New York City Jazz Record observed, "Giraudo’s prodigious abilities as a composer/arranger were instantly apparent, lush orchestrations inspiring the soloist’s expansive improvisation as his engaging bass lines navigated the band through both sudden and subtle shifts in tempo and rhythm." (Russ Musto). Video and music samples, as well as EPK, are all at: pedrogiraudo.com

Ñawi is a unique collaboration that joins the talents of the 2005 Native American Music Award Winners for “Best World Music Recording” Yarina and Ecuadorian born bassist, singer and arranger Alex Alvear. Together these ambassadors of Ecuadorean music showcase diverse musical traditions from their native land with a contemporary twist and an array of traditional and modern instruments.

What begun as a one-time collaboration between friends has grown into an entity of its own and continues to captivate audiences from all over. Yarina, a group of multi-instrumentalist siblings from Moserrat Otavalo in the Sierra region of Ecuador, first formed in 1984 with the objective of preserving the Kichwa traditions of their ancestors through their interpretation and original compositions of Andean style music. Alex Alvear, also a native of Ecuador has performed extensively throughout the US and Internationally. Alvear’s musical style is an eclectic array of the various musical traditions he has encountered in his journey as a musician. From the Afro-Latin style of his band Alex Alvear and Mango Blue to mystical sounds in his critically-acclaimed “Equatorial, which a collection of his original compositions and arrangements, inspired by and based on traditional Ecuadorian music, Alex Alvear’s music has transcended audiences worldwide.

Ñawi, which in the Native-Ecuadorian Kichwa language means "Faces", presents a new and contemporary vision of Ecuadorian music. The majority of the music is all-original and it offers a unique approach to traditional Ecuadorian music, faithful to its age-old roots, but incorporating contemporary musical elements. Ñawi is a celebration of Ecuadorian culture and a wonderful opportunity to witness a wide range of musical styles from a part of the world that has had very little exposure in the region. Artist Facebook page: facebook.com/alexalvearyarinanawi

REBOLÚ

Rebolú is an Afro-Colombian musical ensemble comprised of some of the finest Colombian musicians in the united states. The group was created from the desire of Ronald Polo (vocalist/composer/gaitero) and Morris Canate (master folkloric percussionist) to promote the rich musical traditions of their ancestors; the afro-descendents of Colombia's caribbean coast.

It is their belief that these folkloric traditions should continually evolve over time and with the ideas of new generations of folklorists. This belief is surely reflected in their music. The original compositions of Ronald Polo forge new paths for Colombian music while respectfully remaining faithful to its ancestral roots. In the process, they create a truly unique musical and cultural experience.

From traditional songs to original compositions, the entirely of Rebolu' repertoire is loaded with energy, history and danceability. Their unique reinterpretations of traditional Afro-Colombian rhythms such as Gaita, Tambora, Chalupa and Bullerengue, among others, make it extremely well suited not only for festivals and cultural events, but also for nightclubs. Artist Website: gruporebolu.com

JUANCHO HERRERA

Hailing from Colombia and Venezuela, and with a very impressive career of more than 20 years as a frontman and sideman, in the studio and on the road, Juancho Herrera is a fixture of the NYC Latin American jazz scene has performed at some of the most important venues in 34 countries, such as The Kennedy Center(Washington DC), Shibuya Kokaido (Tokyo), Centro Cultural La Estancia (Caracas), Blue Note andCarnegie Hall (New York), Teatro Municipal (Santiago de Chile), among others. He has been an essential part of groups lead by some of today's top artists in jazz and world music, such as, Claudia Acuña, Lila Downs,Sofia Rei, Marta Gomez, Mercedes Sosa, Idan Raichel, Aquiles Báez, Zemog el Gallo Bueno, and many others.

As a bandleader, Juancho has released his second album, Banda in 2011 and has performed his original songs in Venezuela, Colombia, Hungary and the US. Combining the knowledge of traditions from various countries from Latin America and the U.S. with modern funk, blues and jazz influences, Juancho arrives to a very energetic and unique blend of true world music. Using modern instrumentation such as electric bass and guitars in combination with traditional instruments such as Peruvian cajon and Venezuelan cuatro, the project achieves a vibrant dialog between tradition and forward motion. Artist Website: juanchoherrera.com